LexisNexis Risk Solutions Identifies more than $2.3 Million in Recaptured Lost Revenue for Fort Bend County, Texas

ATLANTA and WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- LexisNexis® Risk Solutions today announced that its Homestead Exemption Fraud Detection Solution has uncovered more than $2.3 million in recaptured lost revenue for Fort Bend County, Texas, by identifying and preventing 1,194 cases of erroneous – and in some instances, fraudulent – tax filings. The solution combines the company's public records databases with identity analytics and advanced linking technology to help county governments detect erroneous and fraudulent filings, collect taxes resulting from these filings and identify new sources of revenue.

From a population of approximately 685,000, the LexisNexis Homestead Exemption Fraud Detection Solution identified 11,898 properties as being suspicious and needing additional research. Certified fraud analysts with LexisNexis Risk Solutions worked with Fort Bend Central Appraisal District officials to research the identified homesteads to determine if their exemptions were legitimate or should be denied.

"We take our responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars very seriously," said Glen Whitehead, Chief Appraiser, Fort Bend Central Appraisal District in Fort Bend County, Texas. "Erroneous homestead exemption filings, whether due to the homeowner's mistake or intentional fraud takes dollars away from important services like schools and first responders, leaving honest taxpayers to fill the gap with higher tax bills. The LexisNexis Homestead Exemption Fraud Detection Solution has helped us recapture base taxes of more than $2.3 million. And we expect even more new revenue since we have only processed less than half of the identified anomalous properties."

The solution uses proprietary identity analytics to detect erroneous filings and fraudulent activity by cross-checking customer records against more than 20,000 public records and commercial data sources. The program reviews the homestead exemption filings to ensure compliance with state laws to detect key indicators for errors and fraud, including duplicate exemption filings and family members receiving deductions under a deceased property owners' name.

"We applaud the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District for using new technology to gain a broader picture of its homestead exemption claims – one that looks at claimed exemptions across jurisdictional boundaries to detect anomalies, errors and outright fraud," said Haywood Talcove, CEO, Government, LexisNexis Risk Solutions. "Using identity analytics to detect suspicious filings, such as exemptions for deceased property owners or those with multiple exempted properties, Fort Bend County is recapturing lost revenue while ensuring every taxpayer pays their fair share."

For more information, please visit http://www.lexisnexis.com/risk/products/government/homestead-exemption.aspx.

About LexisNexis Risk Solutions
LexisNexis Risk Solutions is a leader in providing essential information that helps customers across industries and government predict, assess and manage risk. Combining cutting-edge technology, unique data and advanced analytics, LexisNexis Risk Solutions provides products and services that address evolving client needs in the risk sector while upholding the highest standards of security and privacy. LexisNexis Risk Solutions is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. http://www.lexisnexis.com/risk/

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